It’s the league’s fourth work stoppage in 20 years and third lockout as owners try to find a way to corral salaries at a time when league revenues are growing at a record pace. The league has gone from a $2.1 billion (all figures U.S.) business to $3.3 billion in the last seven years.

The league’s 30 general managers have handed out contracts worth $1.67 billion to 179 players since July 1, according to Matthew Wuest, the man behind capgeek.com, but at the same time are demanding salary clawbacks.

On Saturday, Milan Lucic signed a three-year, $18-million extension with the Bruins and Nashville defenceman Kevin Klein inked a new five-year deal for $14.5 million. These are head-scratching offers — about $135 million to 13 players over the final two days of a collective bargaining agreement the league says isn’t working.

All hail the hardworking, great hockeymind, always fair and never at fault midget and his stupid wellfare teams. Blame als has to go to all the greedy bastard owners who just can't found a way to screw all the momentum the NHL had. Superb job really worth wasting 8.000.000 for midgetlike hat-trick.

Record revenues, recod attendances and growth over the last 7 years hey lets lockout the player again, so we can keep all these failed franchises and piss poor playing owners alive right?

Screw you NHL; I am happily watching the SEL, AHL and NLA hope the players wait this out as long as it takes otherwhise the damn midget will lock them out everytime they aren't accepting such insulting proposals.

God I still can't believe it, stubborn owners keeping this damn commissioner employed. Sure Ecclestone and Blatter are worse than the mafia but midget is easily top 5 in terms of worst sports commissioners ever. May he be attacked by a furious octopus.

Despite the expiration of the Collective Bargaining Agreement, the National Hockey League has been, and remains, committed to negotiating around the clock to reach a new CBA that is fair to the Players and to the 30 NHL teams.

Thanks to the conditions fostered by seven seasons under the previous CBA, competitive balance has created arguably the most meaningful regular season in pro sports; a different team has won the Stanley Cup every year; fans and sponsors have agreed the game is at its best, and the League has generated remarkable growth and momentum. While our last CBA negotiation resulted in a seismic change in the League's economic system, and produced corresponding on-ice benefits, our current negotiation is focused on a fairer and more sustainable division of revenues with the Players -- as well as other necessary adjustments consistent with the objectives of the economic system we developed jointly with the NHL Players' Association seven years ago. Those adjustments are attainable through sensible, focused negotiation -- not through rhetoric.

This is a time of year for all attention to be focused on the ice, not on a meeting room. The League, the Clubs and the Players all have a stake in resolving our bargaining issues appropriately and getting the puck dropped as soon as possible. We owe it to each other, to the game and, most of all, to the fans.

Nothing much I hate more in sports than the legal drafted bulls*** PR statement by the arrogant, greed filled people who think we as fans are simpletons waiting to lap up anything and everything they say with open wallets to throw money at them afterwards.

So if this is a partial lockout, how do those non-NHL contracts work? If the league comes back in a month or two, can they simply abandon their contracts, or is Datsyuk gone for the year now, regardless of what happens in the NHL?

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The NHL will not be getting another cent from me. No games, merchandise, or dollar hotdogs until I see these millionaires and billionaires negotiating in good faith and attempting to save a season instead of holding it hostage.
We should start a fan association, NSFA - national sports fan association?

I think I'm done with the NHL. I love the Wings, but I am completely disgusted that we are having bak-to-back lockouts. Fans are clearly not as important as greed. So much is wrong with hockey today, it's just not worth the trouble anymore.....this coming from a fan of over 40 years.

So if this is a partial lockout, how do those non-NHL contracts work? If the league comes back in a month or two, can they simply abandon their contracts, or is Datsyuk gone for the year now, regardless of what happens in the NHL?

They can simply return to the NHL whenever they wish, unless they sign for the SEL (Sweden) in which case the league doesn't allow it and any player signing there has to stay for the season.

Nothing much I hate more in sports than the legal drafted bulls*** PR statement by the arrogant, greed filled people who think we as fans are simpletons waiting to lap up anything and everything they say with open wallets to throw money at them afterwards.

I'm sure this has been brought up before and I hope you guys don't end up changing the subject of the thread, but if back in June it looked like the CBA was going to be done by now would it have affected Lidstrom's decision any? With him respecting Holland and giving him a decision before July 1 he had no way of knowing how long this was going to last. So part of me thinks he didn't want to say he was coming back just to have the season taken out and then end up just retiring anyway.

Third lockout in as many tries for Bettman. 3/3 on league time lost due to labor disputes. Anyone still think this buffoon still needs to keep his job? Apparently a majority of the BoG does, which is sad...

Third lockout in as many tries for Bettman. 3/3 on league time lost due to labor disputes. Anyone still think this buffoon still needs to keep his job? Apparently a majority of the BoG does, which is sad...